Waiting
by PleaseDon'tGetMeRescued
Summary: She went to a party.  He went to yoga.  How were they supposed to know they'd both spend the entire night waiting for things that would only hurt them?
1. Chapter 1

_I can't come. I'm going to yoga with Alyssa._

Nine words. It only took those nine, tiny words sent over a text message from her boyfriend of two and a half years for Jade to lose it. Lose her mind.

Jade doesn't like people. She hates being around them even more. She never likes going to parties. She never likes "hanging out" with her friends. She never likes being around anyone if it isn't Beck. So, when the sudden urge to attend Matthew Wyngate's party that weekend, she had expected Beck to agree to go in a heartbeat. After all, he's always the one trying to get _her _to go out.

And then he just goes and spends time with Alyssa. Alyssa Vaughn. _God, I thought we were past this, _she thought to herself gloomily. Apparently not. Well, screw that. Screw him. This was the one time in months that she actually felt like going out and she'd be damned if Beck was going to stop her.

There was only one problem: she had no way of getting there. Beck, for obvious reasons, was out. Jade's car was in the shop getting new brakes. Her mom was in Wisconsin for the week visiting her Jade's aunt. Her dad and his new wife were out on a fancy two-month anniversary dinner (and, seeing as Jade and Diana actually got along most of the time, she didn't want to ruin their night.) Andre, Vega, and Robbie weren't options (especially Vega). Maybe Cat could drive her.

Pulling out her PearPhone, she called the bubbly red-head that (despite all of Jade's protests) was her very best friend. After a short five-minute conversation Cat was on her way to drop Jade off at the party but, unfortunately, not stay (something about Matthew Wyngate being a "Meany McMeanerson" and making fun of Cat's velvet cupcake colored hair.)

Shame. It would have been nice to have someone there along-side her.

Four and a half hours. Two-hundred and seventy minutes. Sixteen-thousand, two-hundred seconds.

That's how long it had been since she had texted Beck asking if he would come to the party with her.

Three and one quarter hours. One-Hundred and ninety-five minutes. Eleven-thousand, seven-hundred seconds.

That is how long it had been since Beck's yoga class had been over (yes, she kept track.)

_Why hasn't he called? _she wondered. Beck always checked up on her, even when they were fighting. And they _weren't _fighting. They just weren't with each other at that moment. He was at home, she was at a party. No big deal.

It was twelve o'clock midnight. Jade danced in the very center of a crowd of hundreds of teenagers in Matthew Wyngate's spacious mansion living room. The bass was turned up just loud enough that it pulsed through her and helped her lose herself. Or, at least that's what she told herself. She paused slightly every few minutes to make check her phone and make sure she hadn't missed his nightly call.

She hadn't.

_Whatever, _she thought, _forget Beck._

"Can I get you a drink?"

Jade turned to see none other than the party host, Matthew, himself, brandishing a charming smile. Contemplating if he was flirting with her or just being polite, she agreed with a nod. "Diet Coke. I don't drink alcohol." And she didn't. Despite what people at Hollywood Arts thought, Jade wasn't nearly as rebellious as everyone assumed. Sure her face was pierced, she had a tattoo, her hair was different colors, and she had a reputation for being a bitch but, she didn't drink. Ever.

"Sure thing," Matthew replied with a smile before walking off towards the kitchen.

Jade checked her phone again. 12:10 AM. No missed calls. No new test messages. Shoving the phone back into her pocket, she turned at the sound of her name from behind her. Accepting the drink, she took a long sip, grimacing slightly. It tasted funny.

"What the hell is that?"

"Diet Cherry Coke. It was all there was."

"It's disgusting," she retorted plainly, setting the red plastic cup on a near-by table.

"Sorry."

"Whatever."

The pair stood in a semi-awkward silence for a few minutes before Matthew spoke again. "Do you want to go talk somewhere?"

"If by talk you mean make out the answer is no. I have a boyfriend, remember?"

"Right. Burke."

"Beck."

"And where exactly is this precious Beck?"

"Busy."

"Too busy for you, Jade?" He _tskked _his tongue a few times. "Now that's just sad."

"Well, you know," she said with a shrug. "Fine, you want to talk, let's talk."

"Let's go sit in the office."

"Whatever. Just lead the way." As Matthew walked a few paces down the hall, Jade followed closely behind him. _Whoa,_ she groaned internally as the walls around her started to sway and she got a massive head rush. She shook her head a few times, trying to clear it.

"You okay?"

"Just fine," Jade replied starkly before stepping in front of him and opening the door to a large room that appeared to be an office and library. Her head swirled again and she plopped down in a large, leather desk chair.

"Why do you date that loser anyway?"

"That's none of your business, is it?"

"Answering a question with a question. Nice."

"You know what's really nice? When stupid douche bags like you don't hit on me when I have a boyfriend."

Matthew smirked and pushed off from the wall he was leaning against before leaning in and placing his hands on the arms of Jade's chair. His face was uncomfortably close and Jade could smell the alcohol on his breath. "You never answered my question, Jade. Where is your boyfriend? 'Cause I sure don't see him anywhere. Shouldn't he be here, with you? Did he ditch you, Jade? Did he go to be with someone else, leaving you here by yourself for me to find?" He paused. His lips were a mere two inches away from hers but she didn't shy away. _Jade West never backs down. _

"But, do you want to know what really _is _nice? When a _nice _guy invites a girl to his party out of the kindness of his heart and she doesn't act like a total bitch. You know what I mean?"

Jade scoffed, rolled her eyes, and weakly pushed him out of the way, standing up. Her eyes went foggy as she took a step and she was forced to stop to keep her balance. From behind her she heard a menacing growl. Her eyes widened slightly (she was glad her back was to him) and she quickly made to leave the room but, before she could make it to the door, Matthew grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Did you hear me?" he shouted, shoving her harshly. "I said don't be a bitch!" Jade winced as her she finally lost her balance and her head made contact with the door post. Colors exploded behind her eyes, which were now drooping dangerously. The loud bass from the music outside the door dulled and faded from her hearing slightly.

Matthew stood up straight and his scowl vanished, replaced by the same charming smile she had seen earlier. That, more than anything, scared her.

Jade's eyes widened again from their previously half-lidded state, and this time she knew that he could see her fear. With all the strength left in her drained body, she pushed herself up and quickly ran from the room. She could hear Matthew calling her name behind her, but she didn't stop. She only slowed as she ran into people she couldn't quite see. Their complaints sounded as she passed. _What is wrong with me? _ Her mind was reeling as she stumbled out of the house and onto the front porch. She collapsed onto a wicker chair and pulled out her phone, panicking.

12:30 AM. No missed calls. No new test messages?

Where was Beck? Cat was probably asleep already. Who could she call?

Jade groaned as a huge pounding started in her head. Making up her mind, she hastily dialed a number she had never even bothered to memorize. After a few rings she was surprised to hear Diana's tinkling laughter on the other end. Even in her off state, she could tell that her new step-mother and father were slightly tipsy.

"Hi Jade. What going on honey?"

"Diana, please!" She let out a shuttering breath, squeezing her eyes closed, a few tears leaked out. She would never admit it, but she was _scared. _"I need you to pick me up. I'm at a party and I-I-" she couldn't even finish.

Diana instantly sounded more alert. "Where are you sweetie? We'll come and get you."

Rattling off the address she had saved in her phone, Jade nodded silently as Diana told her that everything would be okay and that they would be there in ten minutes, not realizing she couldn't even see her. She ended the call and hastily wiped her tears. Even when her eyes dried, she still couldn't see. Her stomach lurched and she felt the sudden urge to vomit. She leaned over but nothing happened, the nausea wouldn't go away.

How long she sat like that, she had no idea. The next thing she was aware of was someone putting a hand on her shoulder. She jerked away only to look up and see her father's familiar face.

"Dad," she cried, looking away and squeezing her eyes closed again, more tears falling.

"Jadelyn, what happened?" For once he actually looked and sounded concerned for her.

"There was this guy, he gave me a diet coke and…and-"

"It's alright, honey. It'll be okay." Jade shuddered as her father gently picked her up, stumbling slightly. Partly from not being accustomed to her dead weight, partly from the alcohol he had consumed at dinner.

"Everything will be fine, sweetie," Jade could make out Diana's voice from in front of her as they approached the car. Her step-mother opened the car door and her father softly laid her down in the back seat.

The door closed. Then another and another, the last one sounding rather violent. Jade's stomach lurched as the car moved forward. Her vision remained blurry and her head continued to pound. She felt the car speed up and heard Diana tell her father to calm down and slow down. The car swerved and Diana screeched, as did the wheels.

But Jade was already unconscious when the car crashed into oncoming traffic.

XOXOX

Beck rolled over in his bed for what must have been the fiftieth time in an hour. It was one o'clock in the morning. He hadn't slept a wink. He told himself that it was because he was still so wired after yoga but, he knew that it wasn't true.

He hadn't talked to Jade. He didn't call. He didn't text. What was even stranger though was that _Jade_ hadn't called _him_. Usually, if he didn't make his nightly phone call right away she would ring him, enraged, demanding to know the reason. When she hadn't he had brushed it off.

He rolled over once again, pressing his face into the pillow next to him. He breathed in, faintly smelling coffee and lavender, Jade's scent. He felt bad. He _always _called Jade. Even when they were in their worst fights, he called every night. Why hadn't he tonight?

He felt a prickle in brain right then, a stab of worry that coursed through him. _What if something's wrong? _He sat up in bed, rubbing his face and smoothing his hair out of his eyes. Looking over at his bedside table, he caught a glance of the photo there, the moonlight reflecting in its shiny, silver frame. He picked it up and placed it in his lap, studying it. It was a picture of the two of them from the autumn time. Beck had taken Jade to the park, a place she secretly loved. They had gone on the swings, walked the trails, and even played Tetherball. Right before they left Jade had hopped on his back and demanded a piggy-back ride. He had smiled, run around with her for a minute, before pulling out his phone and propping it up against the play structure. He set the timer for ten seconds before backing up slightly. "Smile," he had instructed. And, just as the flash went off Jade leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek. In the photo Jade had her eyes closed and Beck had the biggest smile on his face.

Lying back down on his side, Beck propped the photo up against Jade's pillow before sending her a quick text.

_I love you._

With that he closed his eyes and finally fell asleep.

XOXOX

A few hours later, Beck awoke to a loud pounding on his door. Assuming it was his girlfriend, he groggily got out of bed to let her in. "Jade? What time is it?" he asked, his eyes still half-lidded with sleep.

"Dude, come on. Wake up! For real, it's not Jade, it's me." Beck sleepily recognized his best friend's urgent voice and woke up a little more.

"Oh, Andre. Hey, man. What's up? Why're you here?"

"Seriously, man! Snap out of it! You need to wake up, for real. This is important!" he shouted, shaking Beck's shoulders vigorously. "Jade got in a car wreck!"

That woke him up.

"She what?" He was surprised his shout didn't alarm him parents up in the house, or the neighbors. "How did this happen?"

"That party she went to earlier that none of us wanted to go to? She called her dad and her step-mom, freaked out, asking them to pick her up. They'd been drinking and her dad accidently swerved into oncoming traffic. They're all in the hospital. Her dad is okay, but Jade and her step-mom are both pretty roughed up."

Beck didn't need to hear any more. Quickly slipping his feet into his boots, he jumped down the steps of his RV and got in the driver seat of Andre's car. It was still running. Andre quickly got in the passenger seat and Beck took off before he could even close the door. He pressed the gas pedal to the floor, still clutching the photo of him and Jade in his hand, tears forming in his eyes.

XOXOX

"I'm looking for Jade West. Jadelyn West. I need to see her right now. I'm her boyfriend."

The plump, elderly nurse with frizzy blonde hair and glasses sitting behind the desk nodded before typing something into her computer. "I'm sorry dear, but it looks like Miss West is just finishing up surgery. Once she is settled into a room you'll be able to see her. Okay?"

Beck stiffened, his hands balling into fists and his mouth pressed in a straight line. Andre put a hand on his shoulder and he relaxed, sighing, defeated. He nodded before going and sitting down in one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, Andre next to him.

The pair sat there in silence for ten minutes before Andre got up to call Jade's mom and the rest of their friends.

Ten minutes after that Cat showed up, sobbing hysterically, and clutching at Beck's shirt who was too upset to try and comfort her in any other way besides a hug.

Five minutes after that Tori and Trina arrived, both upset, but neither as much so as Beck and Cat. Tori was able to pry the red-head off of Beck and took over the task of comforting her. Trina placed a comforting hand on Beck's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, delivering silent support.

Three minutes later Andre got a call from Jade's mom saying that she was able to get a ticket on the next flight back to LA. Andre handed Beck the phone and Mrs. West told him in a shaking voice that he had to be strong. For Jade. His lip trembled at that and more tears fell, but he agreed.

Another five minutes passed and Robbie got there, Rex nowhere in sight. He gave Beck a quick hug before sitting down on the opposite side of Trina.

It was four thirty five in the morning. Fifty minutes since Andre had shown up at Beck's door. Thirty-seven minutes since Beck and Andre had reached the hospital. Thirty-five since the nurse had said that Jade was out of surgery.

_What the fuck is taking so long?_

A few more minutes passed before an older gentleman doctor in navy scrubs came out. "Visitors for Miss Jadelyn West?"

Beck was out of his seat before the doctor had even finished the sentence. "Where is she? Can I see her now? Is she okay?" He fired off a dozen more questions before Cat grabbed his hand, causing him to go silent.

"She's stable. She has three broken ribs and two crack ones. Her eye socket is chipped and she has a severe concussion. She suffered from some internal bleeding but we were able to fix that up in surgery. Are you the boyfriend?" Beck nodded silently, his eyes still red and puffy from crying. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you when she wakes up. We're trying to make her as comfortable as possible. However, there is one thing that greatly concerns us."

"What is it?" Tori asked in a small voice, her eyes watering now.

"We found high levels of GHB in her system."

"GHB?" Cat squeaked out, her voice breaking.

"Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate."

"The date rate drug?" Robbie questioned.

"It's a miracle she was even able to walk let alone think to call her parents."

Beck's blood boiled dangerously as the doctor nodded and Cat started sobbing again.

"I need to see her."

"I'm afraid you can't just yet. We're running a few tests just to make sure nothing else is wrong. Maybe in another hour or so."

"No!" Beck yelled, causing everyone to jump. "I need to see her now! I have to know she's okay! I have to see her!" His shouting only got louder, attracting the attention of a security guard nearby. Beck made a move to advance towards the doctor menacingly before Andre and Robbie each grabbed one of his shoulders, holding him back.

"Beck, man, calm down. It's okay! She'll be okay!"

"No! I need to see her! I have to see that she's okay!" He was hysterical now, tears streaming down his face, his voice cracking.

"I know dude, but if you don't calm down then you're going to get kicked out of here and you won't be able to see her until she's discharged! Is that what you want?"

Beck took a deep breath, shook his head, and looked up from his gaze on the doors the doctor had come from. Cat, Tori, and Trina were all crying fiercely, clinging to each other at the sight of Beck's breakdown and the thought of Jade's situation. The security guard had slowly crept closer but backed off when he saw that Beck was starting to calm down. The other patient's family members looked at him with sorrowful but understanding expressions. The doctor looked a little frightened but not surprised. He took a few steps closer before meeting Beck's eye.

"Son, I know this is hard. But she is going to be just fine. She'll need time to recover, but I have no doubt that she can come back from this. Especially with a group of friends as loyal as yourselves. You can see her in a little bit but, in the meantime, we need to run just a few tests to make absolutely positive that there is nothing we missed. It's for her own good. Understand?"

Beck nodded his head once more before stepping away from Andre and Robbie's restraints. He collapsed into his chair again, cradling his face in his hands and letting the tears fall.

XOXOX

Forty-nine minutes and twenty-three seconds later the same doctor as before, Doctor Perry, came out and informed the group that Jade was still unconscious but could take visitors one at a time. Not even bothering to ask his friends, Beck took off, following Doctor Perry down the light green hallways.

_Right. Left. Right. Door. Right. Left. Left. 1205…1206…1207…1208. _

The pair stopped at room 1208 and the doctor motioned for Beck to go in. "Take as long as you need."

With that Beck entered the room, picture frame in hand, and looked up to see the bruised, beautiful face of his girlfriend of two and a half years. There was a strip of gauze taped under her left eye. The blue extensions had been removed from her hair and it hung in its normal black halo around her face. There was an orange, glowing pulse oximeter clipped on her finder. The stead _beep, beep, beep _of her heart monitor was reassuring. Her face was horribly discolored, the purple and black and blue bruising covering most of it contrasted sharply with the milky white of her complexion. Her bottom lip was split and cracked. More tears fell at the sight of her.

Slowly making his way towards her bed, as if not to disturb her sleep, Beck placed a feather-soft kiss on her forehead before sitting down in the chair by her bed. He placed the picture frame on the side table and took one of her hands in both of her own.

"Hi, baby. How are you? I'm sorry I didn't call. I know you must have been upset that I didn't. I'm so sorry. I should've gone to that party with you like you wanted. If I did this never would have happened. I'm so, so sorry baby. I love you so much and it kills me to see you like this. But, I know you're going to make it through this. You're so tough. But, I don't want you to push yourself. I want you to take your time and get better. You sleep as long as you need to okay? I love you with all my heart, Jade, and when you wake up, I'll be here waiting for you."

Beck rubbed his thumb over Jade's palm and placed one final kiss on her cheek before resting his head on her bed, waiting.

**Hi guys! I know, I know. Long time no write. Sorry about that. I know a lot of you have been waiting for me to update my other fics but let me just tell you what's up. Over the summer while I was in the PA, I wrote the next chapters for all of my stories. The problem? My aunt has a MAC and I have a PC. Therefore, I can't open those documents without a MAC computer. So, once I find one I will post those.**

**Don't give up hope.**

**Now, as far as Midnight Lullabies goes, some of you have expressed interest in me continuing on with that story. Let me tell you, I just might. I am rather fond of that piece (especially little Henry) and I've been brainstorming where I can take that. So, if you've read it and want me to continue, let me know. If you haven't read it, GO NOW! DO NOT WALK, RUN! **

**Haha okay, sorry. It's 1:03 AM and I have school tomorrow…or today technically. So, I spent all day writing this and I really wanted to get it up so, it's not BETA'd. My Beta (EMILY I LOVE YOU) doesn't check her email anyway. Haha she's such a dork. So I will probably sometime (when I HAVE time) go back through this and check it for error. I just really wanted to get this up. So, I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor (haha can you tell I'm slap happy?) and pretty, pretty, PRETTY PLEASE review!**

**Love, always, **

** May**

**P.S. – I'm thinking about dipping my toes into some iCarly writing. What do you think?**

**LOVE YOU GUYS!**


	2. Chapter 2

One and four-sevenths weeks. Twelve days. Two hundred and eighty-eight hours. Seventeen thousand, two hundred eighty minutes. One million, thirty-six thousand, eight hundred seconds. That is how long since Jade had been admitted into the hospital.

She was yet to wake up.

And, while Beck and the others nervously awaited her awakening, _Diana_ had already woken up. _Diana _was already walking around. _Diana_ had escaped with only a concussion and some bruised ribs. _Diana _was just fine. Jade wasn't.

There were two chairs sitting outside of Jade's hospital room: one for Beck and one for Jade's dad. Doctor Perry had advised that, although it was alright to go in and visit her occasionally, the constant stream of nurses flowing in and out of her room needed plenty of space to work around her, continuously checking vital signs and IV drips. But, over the past one and four-sevenths weeks, Jade had been out of her room more than she had been in it. Although she stayed eerily still at night while her body rested and recovered, during the day the doctors took her away for an extensively long strand of never-ending tests and exams. Over the past twelve days Beck had sat next to his long-term girlfriend's father for more than a quarter of that time. The amount of words shared between the two men: zero.

Beck knew that Mr. West was struggling. After all, discovering that your daughter had been date rape drugged was hard enough. Nearly killing said daughter in his anger couldn't have been much help. And, if there was one thing Beck knew for sure, it was that the whole situation was not Mr. West's fault. He didn't deserve to be blamed. He nearly killed not only his recent wife, but also his only child, whose relationship with was just starting to repair itself. No, Mr. West was not the culprit here. The perpetrator, the offender, the guilty party, the criminal here was Matthew Wyngate. The bastard. Beck knew this. He knew it full well. But, still, the only thoughts constantly bubbling in his mind were these: _Please be alright, Jade_ and _this is all her father's fault_. _He was the one driving the car._ _He's the reason she's like this. He's the reason she might never wake up. He's the reason, he's the reason, he's the reason._

However, similarly, Beck could only imagine what must have been running though the man in the chair next to him's head. _It's all his fault. He's the reason my daughter is like this. He should have been at that party with her but instead he went out with some other girl. This is his fault, his fault, his fault. _

So over the course of two hundred and eighty-eight hours, the word count remained at zero.

A lot of thing can happen in seventeen thousand, two hundred eighty minutes. Cat had finally stopped crying. Although, when Beck occasionally look up when he heard a sniffle to see her peeking out from behind the corner, staring at Jade's room with blank, glossy, tear-filled eyes. She had only gone into the room once. Needless to say, it hadn't ended well. The poor girl had broken into hysterical sobs upon seeing her best friend's face stained black and blue with bruises that had since dulled only slightly. When Tori and Trina offered to take her home, Cat would always refuse with a shake of the head. No words. Beck didn't know that last time Cat had been silent for so long. He didn't know where she went during the daytime, but he knew she didn't leave. She was like him; she wouldn't leave until Jade did.

Robbie had left not long after arriving, muttering something about his parents not knowing he was out and needing to get back. He mumbled attempted words of comfort before exiting out the revolving door. The Vega sisters had gone home the afternoon after Jade had been admitted, both of them giving Beck strong hugs, neither of which he reciprocated. After they left, Andre had only stayed for a few extra hours before having to get home to his grandmother's. He patted Beck on the shoulder and gave Jade a gentle kiss on the forehead before he, too, departed.

The former Mrs. West had arrived only a day later. Coming straight from the airport, she was lugging a large suitcase behind her, wearing a beyond-rumpled outfit. She had been able to get on the first flight from Wisconsin to Los Angeles, which, unfortunately hadn't been for another day after Andre had called her, plus the time change. The first thing she had done upon arriving was hug Beck so fiercely he felt compelled to hug her back. Beck had always had a good relationship with Jade's mother. They had always gotten along and she trusted Jade with him. He in return, had always trusted his girlfriend with her mother a lot more than with her father (_and for good reason, obviously, _he thought bitterly). He didn't know how long they stood there embracing each other, but when they let go, both parties noticed the highly-distraught look gracing Mr. West's facial features. The guilt was evident.

Ironically, though, it was Mrs. West that was the strong one. While neither Beck nor Mr. West were coping well, Mrs. West had been able to comfort Cat (for a while, at least), force some food into both Beck and her ex-husband, learn the condition of her daughter, inform the rest of their family of said condition, check up on Diana, and reassured all of Jade's friends' that her daughter would, in fact, wake up soon and everything would be just fine, all the while maintaining her composure. Like mother like daughter, they were both so strong.

Diana had woken up only hours after Mrs. West had arrived. And, while Mr. West couldn't bear the thought of facing to new bride he had nearly killed, Mrs. West had quickly rushed off to see that she was okay. They doctors said that Diana would be just fine with hardly any recovery time. She would have to be careful on her ribs and not do anything strenuous due to her concussion, but she was discharged only two days after being admitted.

Doctor Perry told Beck over and over again that everything would be okay. _These things just take time. She'll wake up when she's ready. Just keep the faith. _But, Beck was starting to have his doubts. Jade was stubborn. Who knew what was going on in that head of hers during her prolonged slumber? What she doing this to punish his for blower her off? He wouldn't put it passed her; after all she'd done it before. But, of course, that was ridiculous. Even if she was mad at him inside that head of hers, she would never intentionally hurt Cat the way she was hurting. Jade had always had a soft spot for the red-head. _Keep the faith. _He was trying, he really was.

But, it wasn't fair. None of it was. Why was it that, even though he had been the one driving, Mr. West had walked away physically unscratched? Why was it that even though Jade had been one to follow through with their plans while he had gone off to yoga, she was the one laying in that hospital bad? Why was it that even if Jade never woke up everyone else would be just fine? Mr. West had Diana. Andre had Tori. Mrs. West had family back in Wisconsin. But, he and Cat would be left with no one. They'd have no comfort. And, despite wanting to be able to deny it, Beck knew that both he and Cat would both be far too gone to be able to comfort one another. People would move on. They would go on with their lives. People at Hollywood Arts would only remember her from the framed cast pictures she was in on the walls. But, Beck vowed, if she never woke up from now until the day he died, he would never forget her. Not for a second. She would forever be on his mind. And Cat's. _But there's nothing to worry about, _Beck reminded himself_, because she's going to wake up soon. She is. _

And he believed it.

But it still wasn't fair.

XOXOX

Beck had missed six yoga classes. It honestly hadn't even crossed his mind until shortly after the first. He had been sitting in the chair outside Jade's room. Mrs. West had taken her ex-husband down to the cafeteria to get some coffee, leaving Beck by his lonesome while Jade was away for more tests. It was eight o' four when his Pear Phone had buzzed in his pocket. Distractedly pulling it out he attempted to focus on the words on the screen.

Alyssa.

_Hey, where were you tonight? We missed you at class._

That was only the first. After that there had been twelve more just from that night. The last of which consisted of "_I guess you're busy with Jade. Talk to you later." Oh, yes, _he thought looking at his girlfriend through the windows next to her door_, I am busy with Jade._

Over the following one million, thirty-six thousand, eight hundred seconds and five missed yoga classes, his phone was constantly buzzing. He received texts from only five people: his parents checking up on his (he answered those, for the most part), Andre and Tori (sometimes answered) and Alyssa (never answered). He wasn't sure if it was because he blamed Alyssa almost as much as he blamed himself for Jade's accident, or if he just didn't feel like conversing with the ever-pleasant socialite. Probably a little of both, he decided, but mostly the former. If Alyssa hadn't asked his to go to yoga instead of the party, would any of this have happened? He wasn't sure. But he just kept thinking _this is her fault, her fault, her fault! _He couldn't help it.

A weight plopped down in the chair beside him as he stared blankly at the message. He glanced up briefly to see Mrs. West at his side, reading the text over his shoulder. "Where's Mr. West?" he croaked, his voice thick from not talking much for a long while.

"I managed to get him to go home and take a shower. He didn't want to leave but he needed to get out of here. Besides, Diana has been home by herself for almost a day. Someone needed to check up on her."

Beck didn't reply.

"You need to too, Beck."

"I need to what?" It came out slightly harsher than he intended. Instantly, a sense of guilt washed over him. _Stop being a jackass, Beck. She loves Jade too._

"Go home. Get out of here. I talked to your parents and their worried about you. You need to rest. Have you slept at all since you got here?"

"A little." And he had. The only problem was that every time he closed his eyes, his mind was plagued with images of Jade. Jade being drugged by Matthew Wyngate. Matthew's hands all over her. Jade trying to fight. Jade roughly being shoved around a room full of people as she tried to run. Jade frantically calling her parents. Jade calling his name, asking where he was. Jade crashing into oncoming traffic. Jade dead. Jade, Jade, Jade.

"She wouldn't want this for you, Beck. You know that. She'd want you to get rest, to take care of yourself. She'd want you to go home, get some food, get some sleep, and comfort Cat. She'd want you to cope. I know jade was tough of the outside, but you're all she cares about. She'd want you to take care of yourself. She'd want you healthy."

"Yeah, well I want _her _healthy!" he burst out, his voice rising, reverberating against the light green walls of the hospital hallway. "But I can't have that, can I? I can't just have her back. For God's sake, we can't go one week without fighting or breaking up or one of us nearly fucking dying!" He broke down into sobs, dropping his phone to the floor and burying his face in his hands, tears leaking through the cracks between his fingers. "I-I just want her to come back. I want her back." His voice broke, and so did he.

"Hey now, come on, honey, she's coming back. Do you know how much she loves you? So much more than you could possible know. She loves you more than me, more than herself, more than music, more than Hollywood Arts, more than musicals. Beck, she loves you more than she loves performing. And, that's saying something. She can live without the shows and the singing and the costumes and the applause. She can't live without you, Beck." With her arm firmly around his shaking shoulders, she continued, tears streaming down her own face. "She's going to come back to you, honey. She is. She's just a little lost in there. Give her time. Just, give her time, okay?"

He nodded stiffly. He would give her time. He would wait for her to wake up. He'd wait forever if he had to. "Good," Mrs. West said, giving his shoulder a tight squeeze. She bent down and handed his phone back to him. "You might want to text Alyssa back. I'm sure she's worried about you."

Beck didn't stop to consider what Jade had told her mother about his relationship with the famous socialite. He didn't care at the moment.

"Maybe she should be," he whispered as Mrs. West walked away.

XOXOX

_Four and a half hours. Two-hundred and seventy minutes. Sixteen-thousand, two-hundred seconds._

_That's how long it had been since she had texted Beck asking if he would come to the party with her._

_Three and one quarter hours. One-Hundred and ninety-five minutes. Eleven-thousand, seven-hundred seconds._

_That is how long it had been since Beck's yoga class had been over (yes, she kept track.)_

Why hasn't he called?_ she wondered. Beck always checked up on her, even when they were fighting. And they _weren't_ fighting. They just weren't with each other at that moment. He was at home, she was at a party. No big deal._

_It was twelve o'clock midnight. Jade danced in the very center of a crowd of hundreds of teenagers in Matthew Wyngate's spacious mansion living room. The bass was turned up just loud enough that it pulsed through her and helped her lose herself. Or, at least that's what she told herself. She paused slightly every few minutes to check her phone and make sure she hadn't missed his nightly call._

_She hadn't._

Whatever_, she thought, _forget Beck_._

_Forget Beck._

_Forget Beck._

_Forget Beck._

_Forget Beck._

XOXOX

Four Days. Ninety-six hours. Five thousand, seven hundred, sixty minutes. Three hundred forty-five thousand, six hundred seconds. That is how long since Beck had had his heart-to-heart with his comatose girlfriend's mother.

Since then he had briefly taken a shower in the hospital bathroom and changed into the clothes Andre had brought him. He had eaten a semi-substantial meal in the cafeteria. He had shaved the stubble from his face, found Cat, forced her to eat a real meal as well, and relocated the both of them from the hallway to the slightly more comfortable chairs in Jade's room. And there they sat, holding hands for longer than either of them cared to acknowledge. The girl they both loved so much had been asleep for just over two weeks.

His phone buzzed. He ignored it.

"You know, Mrs. West is right," Cat's sweet voice came from beside him. It shook with the effort to use it after so long.

"About what?" he asked calmly. He could snap at Andre (this had occurred multiple times in the last fourteen days), Tori (only a few), Mr. West (hadn't happened, but Beck was sure it would), and even Mrs. West (only the once), but he would not snap at poor, sweet, innocent Cat. Then only one who loved her as much as he did.

"About Alyssa. I'm sure she's really worried. As far as she knows, you just dropped off the side of the Earth. She probably thinks you're in a com-" she broke off and looked away guiltily. Beck squeezed her hand a little tighter. "Anyway, I think you should call her. She's a good friend of yours and deserves to know where you are."

Beck said nothing, just continued to stare at the now-yellowing bruises on the love of his life's beautiful face.

His phone buzzed again.

Silently he dropped Cat's hand and grabbed the phone, making his way out of Jade's room with only a single glance back. With the sight of Cat's hand firmly placed in Jade's and the red-head's encouraging smile, he dialed Alyssa's number.

He took a deep breath. He wasn't sure if he was ready to have this conversation without blaming it all on his friend.

She answered on the second right.

"God, Beck! Where the hell have you been, dead?" _No, but Jade could have been._ "I've been calling you like mad!"

Four words. "I'm at the hospital."

"Jesus, why? Are you alright?"

"Yes." _That's a lie._

"Well then what's wrong?"

"It's Jade." _It's your fault! _"She was at a party a few weeks ago and somebody drugged her." There was a distinct intake of breath from the other end of the line. "When she called her parents to come and pick her up, they crashed into oncoming traffic trying to get to the hospital. She's been in a coma for two weeks and they don't know why."

"My God, Beck I'm so sorry!" _You should be, this is your fault. _"Do you need anything? Do you want me to come visit or bring you anything? Is there anything you need?" _I just need Jade back._

"No. To be honest, Alyssa, the only thing I need is space. From you, I mean. I know this isn't your fault but I'm just so confused right now and I'm blaming everybody, especially you. You didn't do anything wrong but I can't risk seeing you right now. I don't want to accidently snap at you. Okay?"

"I understand, Beck. I'll give you space, take all the time you need. Is there anything else I can do?" _Just stay away._

"No, thanks."

"Okay, well just answer me this, please. Are you okay, at least?"

"I'm fine."

It was a lie.

XOXOX

_Forget Beck._

Her eyes snapped open and both she jumped slightly upon seeing him at her bedside. At her jerking, Beck was ripped from sleep and yanked Cat awake with him.

Two days. Forty eight hours. Two thousand, eight hundred eight minutes. One hundred seventy-two thousand, eight hundred seconds. That is how long since Beck had told Alyssa to stay away. Two and two-sevenths weeks. That is how long Jade had been in a coma.

She was awake now.

But, she didn't look relieved to see him. If anything, she looked terrified which, honest to God, was an expression Beck had never seen grace his girlfriend's face. "Jade," he whispered quietly, caressing her face. She flinched away from him and hurt reflected in his eyes.

"Jadey!" Cat yelled, gently threw her arms around her best friend and hugged her. Jade looked relieved to see the velvet cupcake-haired girl. "I'll get the doctor!" she chirped happily, a smiling lighting her face spectacularly.

"Jade, I was so worried about you. I missed you so much, baby." Beck held her hand and kissed the other, trying to evaluate the look of confusion apparent on his girlfriend's features. "Honey, say something."

She said nothing for a moment and just when Beck was starting to wonder what was taking the doctor so long, she spoke.

"Who are you?"

His eyes widened unbelievably at her words. What she joking with his? The doctor didn't mention memory loss. How could this be happening?

"Jade, babe. I'm Beck. I'm your boyfriend we've been dating for almost three years. You remember me?"

Her head shook in confusion and fear. Beck's eyes filled with large tears that started running down his face. "It's okay, baby. It'll come back to you. I'm sure you'll remember soon," he said, kissing her palm again before slowly backing out of the room. He collapsed into the fetal position on the floor, not even bothering with the chair. They tears falling from his eyes seemed to be never-ending.

_What is going on?_

Doctor Perry raced into the room without a second glance his way, but Cat stayed. "What's wrong, Beck?" her sweet voice was familiar in a foggy haze of confusion and grief.

"Cat, she doesn't remember me. She doesn't know who I am!" He sobbed harder than he ever had before.

_I can't lose her._

Cat pulled him into a fierce hug right there on the hospital floor, gave his hand a firm squeeze, and looked him right in the eye. He had never heard her sound so serious when she said, "She will. She's just a little lost. She loves you too much to leave you, Beck. Just give her time." She kissed his cheek and disappeared into Jade's room.

"Who is he, Cat?" Beck heard from the room. He broke down sobbing harder.

_I'm fine,_ he had told Alyssa.

It was a lie then and it was a lie now.


End file.
